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Rock wrote:Thailand is not that safe if you live there longer term or at least for extended periods. Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and HK are very safe. Thailand less so. I've seen too many unlucky incidents there yet I only stay for extended periods.

It depends, comparing Thailand with which country and it depends how you arrange your daily life.

I have 2 condo-units in Pattaya/Jomtien, and I and my Japanese family spend most of our vacation there in winter and summer, totally about 2 months every year, and we do not have really bad experiences so far.

However we do not have any private connection with Thai people, and everybody will tell you, in case of troubles, many wild disputes are because of quarrels between the foreign man and the Thai woman and her relatives.

Another source of troubles is between foreign men and Thai men in bars and nearby etc., often late night and drunk.

Theft is frequently reported related to bar-girls invited by foreign men into their hotelroom or apartment, suddenly wallet and notebook computer are gone etc.

Further well known for troubles are contacts with ladyboys and drugs etc.

While in Thailand, I never had any dispute with the house management, with the accounting office, with my motorcycle repair shop, with the laundry shop, with the banking account, my tailor from Bangladesh, we know our restaurants since years, most shopping is anyway in malls and supermerkets, just pay at the cashier and it is safe there too, nothing negative known to me about medical services etc. All is fine.

My daughter who is pregnant was living with us in the second condo-unit almost for 1 month with husband during this summer time, no problems reported either.

We are usually back in our home around 11:00 pm. until 07:00 am. Doors firmly locked. Locked metal gate to our balcony. No burglary so far, despite we are absent for months. There is nothing to steal either, most money is in the bank etc. No valuables like golden Buddha amulets or expensive jewelry/watches like in typical wealthy Thai homes. Most crimes happen between 2:00 am and 5:00 am.

I was visiting many places in Thailand, by car and motorcycle, and of course best for your security is to avoid some places, like Muslim areas in the South, some border areas to Cambodia and Myanmar etc. but otherwise?

My impression is 'Not bad in general for an Asian developing country', I often think, places in USA and Europe are more dangerous than Thailand.

starchild5 wrote:Why do white men always force their ideals on other races...

Not all white people are doing that, and often these are not white men, but white women - it depends from where they are.

USA/UK are well-known to force their Christian and feminist moral values into every country even deep into family life, teaching what to do, what not to do... claiming something like 'universal laws'.

Further there are some do-gooder countries, and their citizens often feel so sorry for others they consider them as poor and they want to help 'little girls' etc. with intrusive charities and similar BS. Often strongly pro-feminist and man-hating.

I have never seen for example a white Russian man with a Bible in his hand in front of a bar in Pattaya, claiming nightlife is a sin. I have never seen a woman from France moving around with a bicycle in Cambodia, claiming Buddhism is a bad religion etc. This is typical US behavior.
People from South America are not doing this either.

Charities helping little girls etc. in Asia are often run by old and hateful UK-women, of course they use most money they collect for themselves for their own vacation... etc.

It's not really true that such behavior is typical for all white men only.

Rock wrote:Thailand is not that safe if you live there longer term or at least for extended periods. Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and HK are very safe. Thailand less so. I've seen too many unlucky incidents there yet I only stay for extended periods.

It depends, comparing Thailand with which country and it depends how you arrange your daily life.

I have 2 condo-units in Pattaya/Jomtien, and I and my Japanese family spend most of our vacation there in winter and summer, totally about 2 months every year, and we do not have really bad experiences so far.

However we do not have any private connection with Thai people, and everybody will tell you, in case of troubles, many wild disputes are because of quarrels between the foreign man and the Thai woman and her relatives.

Another source of troubles is between foreign men and Thai men in bars and nearby etc., often late night and drunk.

Theft is frequently reported related to bar-girls invited by foreign men into their hotelroom or apartment, suddenly wallet and notebook computer are gone etc.

Further well known for troubles are contacts with ladyboys and drugs etc.

While in Thailand, I never had any dispute with the house management, with the accounting office, with my motorcycle repair shop, with the laundry shop, with the banking account, my tailor from Bangladesh, we know our restaurants since years, most shopping is anyway in malls and supermerkets, just pay at the cashier and it is safe there too, nothing negative known to me about medical services etc. All is fine.

My daughter who is pregnant was living with us in the second condo-unit almost for 1 month with husband during this summer time, no problems reported either.

We are usually back in our home around 11:00 pm. until 07:00 am. Doors firmly locked. Locked metal gate to our balcony. No burglary so far, despite we are absent for months. There is nothing to steal either, most money is in the bank etc. No valuables like golden Buddha amulets or expensive jewelry/watches like in typical wealthy Thai homes. Most crimes happen between 2:00 am and 5:00 am.

I was visiting many places in Thailand, by car and motorcycle, and of course best for your security is to avoid some places, like Muslim areas in the South, some border areas to Cambodia and Myanmar etc. but otherwise?

My impression is 'Not bad in general for an Asian developing country', I often think, places in USA and Europe are more dangerous than Thailand.

Thailand's intentional homicide rate is about 4 per 100,000, same as USA which I also consider to be a medium danger country. But it's much higher than that in about any W. European nation.

Philsippines intentional homicide rate is over twice that of Thailand's. But, Thailand has the second highest per capita traffic death rate in the world which is over three times that of the Philippines. Traffic deaths in Thailand take as many lives per capita as homicides do in many higher danger countries.

ive lived in philippines many years, roam around the streets late at night often, never had any problems, never had problems anywhere in SEA actually

i traveled a lot recently, one of the main things that stuck out to me about thailand was how confrontational the people are, everywhere else in SEA you almost never get argued with, never get any rudeness your way.... in thailand i got in more arguments in 1 week than i would in 1 year in the phils, and i am a very unconfrontational person

yes the philippines looks rougher, yes the people have less money.... but i would definitely be more concerned of a thai person fighting me than a filipino....

It i s just a question of knowing where to go armed and where it is not necessary.

I don't worry, I'm just evaluating. Didn't you see the part where I listed South Africa as a higher danger country?

Ja I saw it. It is why I listed the figures. I was just wondering why people discuss the risks of thailand in terms of crime when the violent crime rate is so low. All of asia seems to have low crime. But low is relative to what you are used to.

I can't understand why people like Falcon so hate the place. Perhaps they just buy completely into exaggerated and dated stereotypes without really spending much time there. Even Stickman seems to be warming up the the city as of late. Pattaya really has a lot to offer at bargain basement prices. It's one of the best value for money cities I know on the planet for so many things. Sure Bangkok is more cosmopolitan. But when you get tired of being surrounded by vertical high rises and noise everywhere, Pattayaland has Jomtien, Wong A Mat, Pattaya itself, and lots of great stuff in the outlying vicinity.

Haha. Pattaya is indeed great for many purposes. It's similar to Dubai in many ways, which I had a chance to visit earlier this year. It's not "deep Thailand," but rather a sort of cosmopolitan melting pot.

But I'm the kind of person who likes to go really local. Quiet, deeply cultural Northern Thailand just suits me better. When I first went to Mexico, I'd run away from the sleazy tourist areas and go straight into the real Mexican areas.